South Africa: Lioness attacks and kills zookeeper

South Africa: Lioness attacks and kills zookeeper

A lioness at Kruger National Park, South Africa. A longtime employee of the Johannesburg Zoo was attacked and killed by a lioness at a farm owned by the zoo, on Feb. 14, 2012. Joe Ramanata, 65, had worked for the zoo for more than 40 years.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — A lioness has attacked and killed a zookeeper at a Johannesburg Zoo breeding farm.

Joe Ramonetha, 63, who had worked at the zoo for more than 40 years, died from a bite to the neck, zoo officials said today.

The incident happened Monday at the zoo's rural farm in the Free State, about 75 miles southwest of Johannesburg.

It is not clear what happened, but zoo officials said Ramonetha was likely feeding lions or cleaning an enclosure when the lioness attacked him in a passageway. Food scraps were found nearby.

Colleagues heard Ramonetha screaming and rushed to help, but it was too late. He was pronounced dead upon arrival at a hospital in Parys, a nearby town.